Martial Arts Terminology: Glossary and Clarifications
The study of martial arts relies on precise terminology. Scholars emphasize that casual usage—such as calling a dojo a “school”—creates confusion between the institution (the educational organization that transmits martial knowledge) and the facility (the training hall where practice occurs). Maintaining this distinction is essential for both historical accuracy and digital ontology design (Cynarski, 2019; Hou & Kenderdine, 2024; Bowman, 2021).
This glossary and clarification page compiles cross-linguistic terms, canonical definitions, and ontological mappings drawn from martial arts studies and cultural scholarship. By aligning institutions, facilities, curricula, and practices as distinct but interrelated entities, it supports clearer analysis of martial arts as both embodied heritage and educational tradition (Green, 2001; Jennings, 2019; Pedrini & Jennings, 2021).
Master Terminology – Institutions vs. Training Halls
Across cultures, martial arts communities distinguish between the school as an institution and the hall as the physical training venue. A school (martial arts school, karate school, taekwondo academy) is an educational organization with instructors, programs, and curricula, while a hall (dojo, dojang, wǔguǎn, võ đường) is the material setting where instruction occurs. Scholars highlight that conflating these layers obscures the cultural and pedagogical roles of martial arts schools and risks collapsing organizational entities into spatial terms (Cynarski, 2019; Hou & Kenderdine, 2024; Green, 2001). Clarifying this distinction across linguistic traditions helps prevent conceptual drift in both academic analysis and digital knowledge systems (Bowman, 2015, 2021).
Master Terminology – Institutions vs. Training Halls
| Language | Term | Usage Context |
|---|---|---|
| English | Martial Arts School | Institution. Generic label for any structured organization teaching one or more martial arts. Not a hall term. Q135495953 |
| English | Karate School | Institution teaching Karate; training occurs in a dōjō (hall). Karate school Q124354256; Karate Q11419 |
| English | Taekwondo School / Academy | Institution teaching Taekwondo; training occurs in a dojang (hall). Q36389 |
| English | MMA Gym | Institution (modern model). Often miscalled “dojo.” MMA Q114466 |
| English | Boxing Gym | Institution (sport-specific). Separate sport tradition; not equivalent to traditional martial arts schools. |
| Japanese | Dōjō (道場) | Hall. Training space for Japanese systems (Karate, Judo, Aikidō). Not the school itself. Q203609 |
| Japanese | Hombu Dōjō (本部道場) | Headquarters hall of a style/organization; not a synonym for any large dojo. |
| Japanese | Shibu Dōjō (支部道場) | Branch/affiliate hall under a hombu; not an independent institution by default. |
| Japanese | Budōkan (武道館) | Large event hall/arena; not a local school. Q16534385 |
| Korean | Dojang (도장) | Hall. Training space for Taekwondo/Hapkido; sometimes miscalled “dojo.” Q3033826 |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | Wǔguǎn (武馆) | Hall. Chinese martial arts training hall; may colloquially mean the school in some regions—treat as hall unless explicit. Chinese MA parent Q3705105 |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | Kwoon (館) | Hall, esp. in Southern systems (Wing Chun, Hung Gar). |
| Vietnamese | Võ đường / Trường võ thuật | Võ đường = Hall; Trường võ thuật = Institution. Keep the distinction. |
| Thai | ค่ายมวย / ยิมมวยไทย | Hall/Facility (Muay Thai “camp”/gym). Functions as a school when curriculum + instructors are present. Muay Thai Q120931 |
| Spanish | Escuela de artes marciales | Institution (also “academia” or “club” in branding). |
| Portuguese (BR) | Escola de artes marciais / Academia | Institution. “Academia” widely used (esp. BJJ); not a generic fitness gym when structured. BJJ Q189336 |
| French | École d’arts martiaux | Institution. “Dojo” colloquial for hall in Japanese contexts. |
| German | Kampfsportschule | Institution. “Dojo” used only for hall in Japanese contexts. |
| Italian | Scuola di arti marziali | Institution. “Dojo” = hall in Japanese styles. |
| Russian | Школа боевых искусств / Клуб самбо | Institution. “Клуб” can be a full school if structured; “Клуб самбо” = Sambo institution. |
| Arabic | مدرسة فنون قتالية / نادي | Institution; “club” branding common, still a school if structured. |
| Hindi | मार्शल आर्ट्स विद्यालय / स्कूल | Institution term (often mixed Hindi–English signage). |
| Indonesian | Sekolah bela diri / Perguruan silat | Institution/organization terms; denote structured instruction. |
| Turkish | Dövüş sanatları okulu | Institution; “spor kulübü” branding can still be a school if curriculum-led. |
Glossary of Core Terms
Martial arts practice is rich in specialized vocabulary that spans uniforms, ranks, training forms, and sparring methods. Terms like gi, dobok, kata, and poomsae carry precise cultural meanings but are often generalized or misapplied across styles. Scholars argue that maintaining canonical definitions while documenting common misuses is essential for both pedagogy and cross-cultural understanding (Bowman, 2017; Cynarski, 2016; Jennings, 2019). Ontology-based approaches further demonstrate how linking terms to concepts such as training halls, schools, and curricula helps avoid ambiguity in academic and digital contexts (Hou & Kenderdine, 2024; Pedrini & Jennings, 2021).
Glossary of Core Terms
| Term | Origin | Canonical Meaning | Common Misuse / Ontology Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dojo (道場) | Japanese | Formal training hall for Japanese arts (Karate, Judo, Aikidō). | Misused to mean the entire school. Ontology: TrainingHall; isPartOf → MartialArtsSchool; Q203609 |
| Dojang (도장) | Korean | Training hall for Taekwondo/Hapkido; cultural counterpart to dojo. | Called “dojo” in non-Korean contexts; sometimes mistaken as the school. TrainingHall; isPartOf → MartialArtsSchool; Q3033826 |
| Wǔguǎn (武馆) | Chinese (Mandarin) | Traditional hall for Chinese martial arts; often lineage-associated. | Sometimes mistaken for a style or event space. TrainingHall; isPartOf → MartialArtsSchool; parent style Q3705105 |
| Kwoon (館) | Chinese (Cantonese) | Hall, especially in Southern styles (Wing Chun, Hung Gar). | Used loosely as “Kung Fu school” in media; keep hall/school distinction. |
| Võ đường | Vietnamese | Training hall. | Institution is Trường võ thuật (school). TrainingHall; isPartOf → OrganizationTerm |
| Gi (着) | Japanese | Training uniform for Japanese arts, worn with obi. | Confused with “Ki” (energy). Not all uniforms are “gi.” |
| Dobok (도복) | Korean | Taekwondo/Korean arts uniform (often v-neck jacket). | Incorrectly called “gi” or “karate uniform.” |
| Obi (帯) | Japanese | Belt indicating rank; secures the gi. | Generalized to all belts; rank colors vary by style. Q387367 |
| Kata (形) | Japanese | Pre-arranged movement form in Karate and related arts. | Used generically for any routine; maintain style specificity. |
| Poomsae (품새) | Korean | Pre-arranged forms in Taekwondo; structurally distinct from kata. | Often conflated with kata or omitted in hybrids. Taekwondo Q36389 |
| Randori (乱取り) | Japanese | Free-form sparring in Judo and related arts; adaptability focus. | Misread as full-contact fighting; not equivalent to point sparring. |
| Sparring | Global | Live partner training for timing, distance, application under pressure. | Equated with competition or seen as inherently dangerous; context and rules matter. |
| Hombu Dōjō (本部道場) | Japanese | Headquarters hall of a style/organization. | Not a synonym for the organization itself. HeadquartersHall; isPartOf → MartialArtsOrganization |
| Budōkan (武道館) | Japanese | Large martial-arts hall/arena (venue type). | Not a local dojo; Nippon Budokan usage leads to arena mislabel. Q16534385 |
| Martial Arts School | Global | Institution: structured, instructor-led, curriculum + progression. | Do not conflate with hall terms. EducationalOrganization; Q135495953 |
| Karate School | Japanese → Global | Institution teaching Karate; trains in a dojo (hall). | SubclassOf → MartialArtsSchool; Karate school Q124354256; Karate Q11419 |
| Taekwondo Academy | Korean → Global | Institution teaching Taekwondo; trains in a dojang (hall). | SubclassOf → MartialArtsSchool; Q36389; belt orders vary by org |
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy | Brazilian / Global | Grappling-focused institution; lineage via Judo. | SubclassOf → MartialArtsSchool; BJJ Q189336 |
| MMA Gym | Global | Institution when curriculum-based with qualified coaches. | SubclassOf → MartialArtsSchool; MMA Q114466 |
Conceptual & Ontological Relationships
Understanding martial arts requires mapping how institutions, facilities, styles, and practices interconnect. A martial arts school is not only a superclass of karate or taekwondo schools but also an organizational hub that administers curricula, houses training halls, and regulates progression. Ontology-based models show that explicitly defining these relationships—school → teaches style, hall → is part of school, uniform → used in training—prevents conceptual collapse and supports clearer analysis (Hou & Kenderdine, 2024; Cynarski, 2019). Scholars note that such mappings are vital both for cultural clarity and for embedding martial arts knowledge into machine-readable frameworks like Wikidata and schema.org (Jennings, 2019; Pedrini & Jennings, 2021).
Conceptual & Ontological Relationships
| Entity | Relationship | Linked Concept / Ontology Note |
|---|---|---|
| Martial Arts School Q135495953 | Superclass of | Karate School Q124354256, Taekwondo School, MMA Gym |
| Martial Arts School | Teaches Style | Karate Q11419, Taekwondo Q36389, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Q189336, Muay Thai Q120931, Capoeira, Sambo, Chinese Martial Arts Q3705105 |
| Martial Arts School | Has Subcomponent | Dojo Q203609 (Japanese hall), Dojang Q3033826 (Korean hall), Wǔguǎn (Mandarin hall), Kwoon (Cantonese hall), Võ đường (Vietnamese hall) |
| Martial Arts School | Uses | Gi, Dobok, Obi Q387367, Sparring, Kata, Poomsae |
| Karate School | Subclass of | Martial Arts School Q135495953 |
| Taekwondo School / Academy | Subclass of | Martial Arts School |
| MMA Gym | Related Format | Mixed Martial Arts; MMA training group/program Q114466 |
| Muay Thai Camp | Teaches Style | Muay Thai Q120931 |
| Escola de Capoeira | Teaches Style | Capoeira |
| Sambo Club | Teaches Style | Sambo |
| Budōkan Q16534385 | Type of large-scale dojo | Hall used for the practice/promotion of budō (often national/regional level). |
| Budōkan | Type of large-scale dojo | Commonly associated with Nippon Budokan (also a concert venue), causing the misconception that “Budokan” means any arena. |
Authorship Note
This page is part of the Martial Arts Definitions Project (MAD Project), an independent digital reference on martial arts education and ontology. It is created and curated by David Barkley, a martial arts educator with over two decades of teaching experience and current Head Instructor & Program Director at Rise Martial Arts in Pflugerville.
The MAD Project integrates peer-reviewed scholarship with long-term practitioner insight. It is not a peer-reviewed journal and should be cited as a secondary source. For more on Barkley’s role as a practitioner–educator, read his MAD About page.
References
Bowman, P. (2015). Martial arts studies: Disrupting disciplinary boundaries. London: Rowman & Littlefield.
Bowman, P. (2017). Mythologies of martial arts. London: Rowman & Littlefield.
Bowman, P. (2021). The invention of martial arts: Popular culture between Asia and America. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Cynarski, W. J. (2016). Martial arts and combat sports: Towards the general theory of fighting arts. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Cynarski, W. J. (2019). Philosophies of martial arts and their pedagogical consequences. Ido Movement for Culture. Journal of Martial Arts Anthropology, 14(1), 11–19.
Green, T. A. (2001). Martial arts of the world: An encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Hou, L., & Kenderdine, S. (2024). Ontology-based knowledge modeling of martial arts education. In Proceedings of the Digital Humanities Conference 2024 (pp. 572–586).
Jennings, G. (2019). The ‘light’ and ‘dark’ side of martial arts pedagogy: Towards a study of (un)healthy practices. In C. L. T. Corsby & C. N. Edwards (Eds.), Exploring research in sports coaching and pedagogy: Context and contingency (pp. 137–144). Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Pedrini, L., & Jennings, G. (2021). Cultivating health in martial arts and combat sports pedagogies: A theoretical framework on the care of the self. Frontiers in Sociology, 6, 601058. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2021.601058